It’s time … well past time … for us, as a nation, to have an intellectually honest conversation about these so-called “common sense gun laws” that are so frequently mentioned in the wake of tragic events.

In the most recent round of rhetoric, President Barack Hussein Obama suggested that preventing individuals on the “No Fly List” – who have been adjudicated of … absolutely nothing in most cases … be prevented from legally purchasing firearms. Of course, that doesn’t prevent them from illegally purchasing firearms as the perpetrators of the San Bernadino shootings did. (The long guns used in the shootings were acquired illegally through what is called a “straw purchase.”)

Since this most recent event took place in California (home to the nation’s most Draconian gun laws), let’s take a look at some of California’s “common sense.”

California’s gun laws make all of the following illegal in the state:

Carrying a concealed firearm without a license to do so – which is nearly impossible to obtain – is illegal

Carrying a loaded firearm on one’s person or in a vehicle while in a public place is illegal

Carrying an exposed firearm while in a public place is illegal

Purchasing a firearm that the state has classified as an “assault weapon” is illegal

Purchasing magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds is illegal

Selling any new handgun, unless it is on the state’s roster of handguns certified for sale, is illegal

A ten day waiting period is required on the purchase of any firearm

Virtually all firearm purchases must be conducted through a California licensed dealer under the Dealer’s Record of Sale process (which requires a background check)

Generally, individuals are limited to purchasing no more than one handgun per 30 day period

Private party transfers of firearms are generally prohibited (antiques, curios and relics more than 50 years old are generally excluded)

All firearms purchases conducted through a California licensed dealer must be accompanied by a Firearm Ownership Report (essentially registration)

Those are the biggies. There are hundreds more laws on the books in California – at both the state and local levels – related to firearms purchase and ownership.

Simply stated, however, these laws do not work. Time and time again, determined killers have proven that they will walk through and around laws intended to hamper their ability to wreak destruction. Even the president’s press secretary admitted that supposed “common sense” gun laws would have done nothing to stop the San Bernadino killers … “Of course not.”

The time has come to drop the reflexive “more gun laws” mantra and step up to the plate with intellectual honesty to address the underlying root causes to violence in our society.

Radicalism, mental health issues, narcissistic entitlement mentalities … these are causes. Deep, beneath their surface, lie the roots – roots that have taken decades to grow into every corner of our society. Identifying these roots and admitting our own culpability is difficult and uncomfortable. As difficult as this may be, it must be done if we want to reduce mass murder.

Those who continue to parrot the need for more “common sense gun laws” are doing nothing more than deflecting attention away from themselves, and their own responsibility in these matters, with an emotionally convenient red herring.

FTC Disclosure: Some of the items reviewed in this article were provided at no charge.

If you’ve been following us for a while now, you know that we’ve been working on a series of articles focused on assembling a purpose-built AR-15.

Yeah, we know, everyone and their brother has done AR-15 build articles and videos. Many of those articles and videos have been produced by people building their first AR. We also know that you expect more from us than to simply follow the crowd of other evil black rifle builders. Fortunately, because we know that you expect more from us, we intend to provide something a little different in this series of articles.

This is the third and final article in our series covering the build of our “Run and Gun” AR-15. In this article we cover our run and gun AR-15 lower build. If you would like to read the first article in the series, click here. To read the second article, click here.

As Yogi Berra (may he rest in peace) used to say, assembling an AR-15 lower isn’t “rocket surgery.” OK, maybe he never said that about building AR-15’s but we like the rocket surgery part.

In our first article, we reviewed the components of our build as well as some of the tools that make the assembly much easier. One of those tools is a lower receiver vise block (pictured below). The vise block helps protect the lower receiver from damage and provides a solid work space for your assembly.

Vise Block

Place the lower receiver on the vise block and install the magazine catch/release assembly. We used a pencil eraser (see photo below) to press the release button into the receiver while threading in the catch lever. The eraser won’t scuff or damage the button while providing a “stop” for the lever as it is threaded into the button.

Pencil Eraser to Assist with Magazine Catch Install

Improper installation of the trigger guard can result in a broken rear guard tab. Be sure to support the tabs when driving the pin into the rear tabs.

We used the vise block as a support.

Use the Vise Block to Support the Trigger Guard Tabs

Next, install the bolt catch lever.

We used an awl with a plastic handle to hold the lever in place while we started the roll pin (see photo below). The plastic handle won’t mar the finish of the receiver.

Holding the Bolt Catch Lever in Place

Use a roll pin starter punch to start the pin (see photo below). Allow the roll pin to push the awl out of the receiver as you drive the pin through the lever. Use a roll pin finisher punch to complete the assembly. This method saves you the time associate with putting tape all over your receiver to protect it from scuffs or nicks during the process.

Roll Pin Punch

One of the tricks that we use when installing the front take-down pin is to rotate the vise block 90° in the vise so that the opening for the take-down pin spring is facing up (see photo below).

Rotate the Block in the Vise

Drop the spring into the opening (see photo below) and carefully insert the detent pin. Use a razor blade to hold the spring and detent pin in place as you slide the take-down pin through the tabs on the front of the receiver.

Detent Spring in Vertical Opening

The RISE Armament trigger is a simple drop-in installation. No external springs to mess with.

RISE Armament Trigger

When installing the fire selector switch and hand grip, flip the receiver upside-down on the vise block. Drop the detent pin into the opening (see photo below).

Fire Selector Detent Pin

Place the spring in the hand grip and utilize a long screw driver or Allen wrench to tighten the screw.

A Long Allen Wrench Helps with the Hand Grip Installation

Install the buffer tube and rear take-down pin. Use a razor blade, again, to hold the take-down pin’s detent pin and spring in place while threading the buffer tube into the receiver. Be sure to put a little grease on the threads of the receiver and some anti-seize on the face of the receiver where it contacts the stock tube.

Be Careful with the Rear Take-down Pin’s Detent Spring

Finally, insert the buffer and spring into the buffer tube. Depending on your stock, you may still have to install the actual butt stock. Our Ace Ultra-light needed no additional installation other than tightening the clamp screw.

Ace Ultra-light Clamp ScrewInstall the Buffer and Spring.

And … the proof is in the pudding (or the ‘putting’ of rounds down range). Here’s a typical 4″ target at 100 yards with Hornady 55 grain practice ammo.

On a cool, foggy morning in late August, the 2015 Walker Draw Tactical Challenge was already facing some challenges of its own. The heavy fog shrouded the rolling hills making even close-range targets invisible.

Fog as Thick as Pea Soup

Competitors milled about as the match directors conducted the safety briefing. About an hour after the scheduled start time, the safety briefing was over and competitors were on their way to the various shooting stages. Perhaps a half hour after that, the fog had lifted and the long-range targets were visible.

The Competition Gets Underway

The Walker Draw Tactical Challenge is put on by the Old Breed Gun Club (OBGC) on private property near Bloomfield, NE. The property is exceptional and the guys from the OBGC are top-notch.

Several Junior Shooters Competed in the Challenge

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Walker Draw are donated to The Battle Buddy Foundation. This year, the OBGC donated more than $3000.00 to Battle Buddy.

One of the organizers, D.R. Herrold, said, “We are honored to do what we can to help out such an important organization. The Battle Buddy Foundation is quietly battling a vicious enemy, and winning.”

Obviously, Battle Buddy is a veteran-oriented organization. Even though all of the members of the OBGC are veterans, the event is open to those without prior military service. The overall feeling is one of inclusion and brotherhood, regardless of military service. (OK, there might be a little ribbing that goes on between former Marines and ex-Army, but that’s about it.) There were several junior shooters at the event, all of whom seemed to feel right at home.

The competition itself is pretty much what one would expect from such an event. The course of fire was comprised of fifteen stages with scenarios that challenged competitors and mimicked real-world situations – “rooftops,” pistol-to-rifle transitions, moving targets, “floating” shooting platforms, VTAC boards, long-range, close-range and much more.

Multi-position Shooting Challenges Abound

The organizers also recovered exceptionally well from the fog delay. An hour and a half delay in an eight-hour competition is significant. By lunch time, however, the organizers had recovered nearly half of that time. With an eat-on-the-go lunch, the competition wrapped up by around 6:30 p.m. Dinner and the awards ceremony were finished and most everyone was on their way home by 9:00 p.m. or so.

Floating Platform for the “Captain Phillips” Challenge

Speaking of the awards ceremony, the prize table was impressive for such a young competition.

According to Herrold, “OBGC is comprised of four main members. All four of us reached out to the shooting community to get the best prize table possible. Numerous emails, phone conversations and a lot of time went into reaching out to the sponsors. All of which were an absolute pleasure to deal with. Every business noted on our website deserves your attention. Quality people putting out quality products and services.”

Almost as importantly, the food was excellent featuring beef raised on the property and venison harvested on the property. I can’t think of another shooting competition that offers food raised or harvested on property!

The OBGC is looking to keep the Walker Draw at about the same size as this year’s event. So, if you’re looking to get in on a great event hosted by some great guys on some great property, get your registration in early for next year’s competition.

Much has been said about gun free zones over the last several months. To date, Trek Tech Black has remained silent. As our president laments his inability to implement additional gun control measures, the time has come to break that silence and take a hard look at the efficacy of one of the most sweeping gun control measures in recent history, gun free zones.

Since the United Nations is the single largest organization promoting gun free zones, let’s take a look at their “desired or intended” result. According to the paper mentioned above, gun free zones are “geographically limited spaces where the carrying or possession of guns by civilians is prohibited in order to reduce armed violence and promote public safety.”

The apparent desired result of gun free zones is to “reduce armed violence and promote public safety.” It is through this lens that we will analyze the efficacy of gun free zones.

The next question that must be asked is, “How do we measure the efficacy of gun free zones?” It is virtually impossible to prove a negative, i.e. that violent crime does not take place because of gun free zones.

We can easily see that violent crime, as a whole, has been on the decline in the United States for several years. However, there are any number of factors that may have a causal effect or a correlation to this decline. For example, the proliferation of concealed carry permits has seen an exponential increase over the same period as the decline in violent crime. Does this mean that civilian concealed carry of firearms reduces violent crime? Perhaps, but not necessarily so. Further study is required.

One method for determining the efficacy of gun free zones is to look at the number of undesirable incidents that take place in gun free zones. In other words, if the desired result of gun free zones is to “reduce armed violence,” how often, and to what extent, does armed violence take place in gun free zones?

Seventeen of the incidents (nearly 63%) took place in known or presumed gun free zones. A total of 248 were killed in those incidents – accounting for nearly 71% of those killed. All other incident categories totaled 102 killed.

Nine of the top ten worst mass shooting murder in modern U.S. history all took place in gun free or presumed gun free zones. These nine killing sprees accounted for 174 deaths out of a total of 350. Number ten on the list was a gang-related shootout in an illegal gambling club.

If gun free zones were, indeed, efficacious, 0% of the individuals killed would have been killed in gun free zones. Of course, in the real world, 100% efficacy is highly unlikely. Let’s be fair. If gun free zones were as efficacious as any of the other zones, only 10% of the individuals killed would have been killed in gun free zones. (The next worst ‘zone’ type was an area that was not geographically limited. This ‘zone’ accounted for 10% of the individuals killed.)

By any measure, the efficacy of gun free zones is miserable. (I’m being polite.)

After a seventeen year hiatus from gun control research, President Obama issued an executive order in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting that once again allowed the CDC to conduct gun control-related research.

The cat has been out of the bag for some time and most of our readers know that, “… the [CDC] Task Force found insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of any of the firearms laws reviewed for preventing violence.”

Not only is there no conclusive evidence that gun control laws prevent violence, one of the most sweeping laws and most significant “violence prevention” methodologies – Gun Free Zones – is so ineffective that it accounts for 71% of the lives lost in the 27 most deadly mass shootings in modern U.S. history.

The time has long passed to repeal Gun Free Zone laws. While there may or may not be a causal relationship between gun free zones and mass shootings, the absolute ineffectiveness of these feel good measures is reason enough not to limit law abiding citizens’ right to self defense.

This is the second article in our series covering the build of our “Run and Gun” AR-15. If you would like to read the first article in the series, click here.

FTC Disclosure: Some of the items reviewed in this article were provided at no charge.

One of the keys to minimizing problems while assembling your own AR-15 is having the right tools. When it comes to assembling an AR-15 upper, a vise clamp or block is absolutely indispensable. Blocks and clamps each have their own pro’s and con’s. We’ve been utilizing a clamp for quite some time and prefer a clamp to a block. The clamp holds the upper more securely and doesn’t place as much shear on the lower lips of the stripped upper. There are plenty of folks building AR-15’s utilizing blocks, though. So, if you prefer a block, by all means use a block.

AR-15 Upper Vise Clamp

If you purchased a stripped upper for your build project, the first step is to install the forward assist and dust cover. Both are relatively easy to install. We purchased a Yankee Hill upper with the forward assist and dust cover already installed, saving ourselves a bit of time and effort. If you’re having trouble installing a forward assist or dust cover, here’s a good YouTube video (skip to about 2:29 to get into the actual install).

Once your forward assist and dust cover are installed, clamp your upper receiver in your vise clamp to prepare for the installation of your barrel. In this build, we are installing a Diamondhead handguard. The Diamondhead handguard comes with a proprietary barrel nut that does not require timing. This is one of the many things that we like about Diamondhead’s handguards. Normally, the barrel nut has to be “timed” to achieve the right torque and allow for the gas tube to be positioned properly. That is not necessary when utilizing a Diamondhead barrel nut.

Your barrel should slip into your upper receiver with only a small amount of resistance. If the barrel does not slip easily into the receiver, remove the receiver from the vise clamp and gently tap the back of the receiver with a rubber mallet. Do not tap on the barrel or place the barrel on a hard surface while tapping on the receiver! There is a nub on the top of the barrel that fits into a slot in the threads of the receiver. Be sure these two are aligned.

Before installing the barrel nut, apply a small amount of grease to the threads of the receiver and barrel nut.

Grease the threads of the upper receiver before installing the barrel nut

Hand thread the barrel nut onto the receiver. Torque the barrel nut to 30 lb/ft of torque. Loosen the barrel nut and re-torque to 35 lb/ft of torque. This tighten-loosen-tighten process “seasons” the threads. Do not exceed 80 lb/ft of torque on the barrel nut!

Obviously, you will need a torque wrench to achieve the proper torque on the barrel nut. Another handy tool, when installing the Diamondhead barrel nut, is a 1 1/4″ “crow’s foot” intended for a socket wrench (the same drive size as your torque wrench). These wrenches are available on Amazon and eBay.

Threading the Barrel Nut onto the Receiver

After the barrel nut is torqued to the proper specifications, install the gas block and gas tube.

A note about gas blocks: If you’re new to assembling AR’s, gas blocks come in a variety of sizes. Be sure your gas block diameter is properly sized for your barrel. Your barrel manufacturer should list the required size in their specifications.

Another note about gas blocks: Often, gas blocks do not include the roll pin necessary to install the gas tube. We typically purchase several of these roll pins at a time to make sure we have them on hand for our builds.

Yet another note about gas blocks: Be sure to determine whether or not your handguard requires a low profile gas block. If the profile of your gas block is too high, you will not be able to install your handguard.

A final note about gas blocks (Who knew such a simple part would be so complicated?): The gas block roll pin is a unique size. Although it can be installed with a standard roll pin punch, life will be much easier if you purchase a gas block roll pin punch. We like the Geissele roll pin punch ($11.49 at MidwayUSA).

Diamondhead Gas Block Sized for Radical Firearms BarrelProper Positioning of the Gas Block – Front of Rifle to the Viewer’s Left

To install the gas block, carefully slide it onto the barrel until it covers the gas port. A very light coat of oil may be necessary. The roll pin hole should be positioned toward the muzzle of the rifle. Most barrels will have two “divots” on the underside of the barrel to index the set screws that hold the block in place. Lightly tighten the set screws until they index into the divots. Once the gas block is in its final position, finish tightening the set screws. Do not over-tighten.

Insert the gas tube into the gas tube hole on the upper receiver. Slide the tube in as far as necessary to allow it to clear the gas block. Insert the opposite end of the tube into the gas block until the opening in the tube lines up with the opening in the gas block as pictured above.

Use a roll pin starter punch to insert the roll pin into the opening in the gas block. User a gas block roll pin punch on the other side of the gas block to hold the tube in place.

Roll Pin Starter Punch

Once the roll pin has engaged the gas tube, finish installing it utilizing the gas tube roll pin punch.

As mentioned earlier, we really like the Diamondhead handguards. They’re easy to install, relatively lightweight, top quality and provide a distinctive look to our rifles.

Diamondhead Handguard and Proprietary Barrel Nut

To install a Diamondhead handguard, remove the hex-head screws at the rear of the guard, slide the guard over the barrel and onto the barrel nut, reinstall the two hex-head screws, ensure that the Diamondhead rail is aligned with your upper’s rail and torque down the hex-head screws.

Told you it was easy! No timing of the barrel nut. No muss. No fuss.

Just Two Screws to Install the Diamondhead Handguard

One last component to install before we drop in the charging handle and the bolt carrier group – the compensator.

Your basic $500 bargain bin AR typically comes equipped with a flash suppressor/hider at the muzzle end of the barrel. The flash suppressor/hider does just that – tones down the muzzle flash … but not much more.

A compensator is designed to provide some flash suppression but primarily to counteract, or compensate for, the rise of the muzzle as the rifle is fired. This reduction in muzzle rise allows the shooter to get back on target quickly. That’s a good thing if you’re trying to put multiple rounds on a target in a short period of time.

Incidentally, a brake – which may appear similar to a compensator – is intended to reduce the recoil (often called ‘kick’) of a firearm.

We chose the Precision Armament M4-72 compensator for this build. It’s gotten some good press based on its price and effectiveness. Based on Precision Armament’s product information, it appears that their intention for the M4-72 is to reduce both recoil and muzzle rise.

Because the compensator controls the direction of the muzzle, it is critically important that it be installed absolutely in line with the vertical axis of the barrel. Incorrect installation will cause the muzzle to rise to one side or the other. A compensator must be “timed” to the barrel to ensure this vertical alignment.

Precision Armament Compensator and Timing Kit

A timing kit is basically a set of washers in various widths. The washers are installed one at a time as the muzzle device is test-fitted for vertical alignment. It’s a bit of a tedious process but careful attention to detail pays off in accuracy and performance.

Start by placing the thickest washer on the muzzle of the firearm and then test installing the muzzle device.

Install Timing Washers One at a Time

As each washer is installed, thread on the muzzle device. The device should hand-thread to within about 1/4 turn of vertical. This will allow the device to be torqued into place at absolutely vertical.

Checking Vertical on the Muzzle Device

We use a small torpedo level to check alignment of the muzzle device to the rifle. With the upper receiver locked down in the vise clamp, lay the level on top of the receiver’s rail. Take note of the location of the bubble.

If you look closely at the photo above, you will notice that the right side of the bubble is touching the line on the right side of the level tube. This was done purposefully. We utilize a bench with adjustable feet when assembling firearms or installing scopes. The feet have been adjusted so that a level laid on the top of the reads exactly like the level pictured above. This removes any guesswork from reading the bubble in the center of the level tube.

In order for the compensator to be properly installed, a level laid on top of the receiver should read exactly the same as a level laid on top of the compensator. If the top of the compensator is not flat, or if the receiver is not a flat-top receiver, this process will be more difficult.

Prior to the final installation of the muzzle device, place a couple drops of high temperature adhesive on the threads of the muzzle. This will help keep the muzzle device from un-threading itself over time and flying off the end of the barrel. We use Rocksett adhesive.

Rocksett High Temperature AdhesiveSlide in Your BCG and Charging Handle and You’re Done!

That’s pretty much it. The hard parts are over. If you’re assembling your bolt carrier group (BCG), do so. Once you have an assembled BCG, slip your charging handle into your upper, slide in the BCG and ensure that it operates smoothly.

FTC Disclosure: Some of the items reviewed in this article were provided at no charge.

When we met the folks at RISE Armament at SHOT in January, they were nice enough to invite us to the Oklahoma Run and Gun competition. The competition sounded like a lot of fun and … made for a great excuse to build a new rifle.

The Oklahoma Run and Gun is a 5k or 10k race that combines physical obstacles and challenges with shooting targets out to 500 yards. Competitors are required to carry a center fire rifle and pistol, ammunition for each and any other gear or water they need for the race. The race is held in mid-July so water is critically important.

The first challenge: Build a relatively lightweight, yet accurate, rifle for run and gun style competitions.

Challenge accepted!

This article will be the first in a series of three. In this installment, we’ll list out the various parts, prices and reasoning for each. In the following installments, we’ll document assembly of the upper and lower of our Run and Gun AR-15.

Yeah, we know, everyone and their brother has done AR-15 build articles and videos. Many of those articles and videos have been produced by people building their first AR. We also know that you expect more from us than to simply follow the crowd of other evil black rifle builders. Fortunately, because we know that, we intend to provide something a little different in this series of article.

First of all, we’re experienced. With dozens of AR-15 builds under our collective belt, this is not our first rodeo. You’ll benefit from our experience, learn from our mistakes and, hopefully, pick up a tip or two along the way.

Secondly, we’re building a rifle with a specific purpose. We intend to detail that purpose and discuss how each component of the build was chosen to meet that purpose.

Finally, while there are dozens – maybe hundreds – of articles and YouTube videos with relatively poor photos and shaky, out-of-focus video, there are very few with high quality photos that demonstrate some of the more intricate details of assembling an AR-15. We intend to deliver our usual quality photography to help highlight some of those details.

Briefly, we chose the Yankee Hill upper because we’ve built several AR-15’s on these uppers and have had nothing but good performance at a reasonable price. Tolerances are always in spec and everything always installs easily.

The Radical Firearms barrel was new to us. We were looking for an accurate barrel that didn’t weigh a lot. “A lot” is subjective but the SOCOM profile is a good, middle of the road profile – in terms of weight – and we had heard good things about the quality and accuracy of the Precision Firearms barrels. This was also our first Melonite coated barrel. Supposedly the Melonite coating supposedly increases the hardness of a barrel while decreasing the amount of expansion during the coating process when compared to chrome lining. A chromed barrel must be over bored to allow for the lining which typically leads to a barrel with looser tolerances than those of a Melonite barrel.

We met the guys from Fail Zero at SHOT Show in January and wanted to give one of their NiB (Nickel Boron) bolt carrier groups a try.

Bravo Company’s MOD4 charging handle is pretty much our standard when we build AR’s. We saw no reason to mess with success here. It’s nice to have a familiar feel to and placement of the major operating components of a rifle being used in competition.

We’ve also become a fan of Diamondhead’s handguards. They have a unique look, simplified mounting hardware (no barrel nut tuning required) and have never given us a problem.

Precision Armament’s M4-72 compensator had seen some good press, both in terms of performance and value, so we decided to give it a try.

The gas block and tube, buffer and buffer spring were chosen based on past experience and value for the money.

Lower Components

RISE Armament RA-535 Advanced Performance Trigger: $259.00

Spike’s Spartan Stripped Lower Receiver: $64.95

ACE Ultra Light Stock with Buffer Tube: $104.99

Magpul K Grip Pistol Grip: $17.95

Palmetto State Armory Lower Parts Kit: $49.99

As we contemplated this build, there was no question as to which trigger to run. The RISE Armament RA-535 trigger is a thing of beauty. It’s installation is simplistic. It’s performance is fantastic. We’ll take a closer look at this trigger in the lower build article in this series but suffice to say the RA-535 is a race gun trigger for your AR.

We found a deal on “blemished” Spike’s stripped lowers and have never had a problem with them in the past so we picked up one with Spartan markings for this build.

To keep the weight down, we chose the ACE Ultra Light stock. As far as we know, it is still the lightest stock on the market.

In keeping with the relatively lightweight design, we chose a Magpul K Grip pistol grip. Much like the ACE Ultra Light stock, we believe the K Grip is the lightest pistol grip on the market.

Finally, we used most of the parts from a Palmetto State Armory lower parts kit to accompany the RISE Armament trigger inside the lower.

Other Accessories

Trijicon ACOG 4X32 Optic with BDC Chevron Reticle: $1189.99

Armageddon Gear Carbine Sling: $45.00

Diamondhead VRS 2″ Rail Section: $13.00

Magpul RSA QD Sling Swivel Rail Mount: $28.45

GovTec QD Sling Swivel: $6.50

Although the ACOG optic nearly doubled the price of this rifle, we feel it was well worth the investment. If you’re counting on a rifle in a competition … or to keep you alive … you want the best glass you can afford with the fastest aiming possible. In our opinion, ACOG optics are winners in both categories.

After meeting and competing with Tom Fuller, the owner of Armageddon Gear, they have become a go-to source for slings, cases and other firearms-related soft goods. Their carbine sling is no exception.

The Daimondhead rail section was chosen to match the Diamondhead handguard which is not a quad rail handguard. The Magpul QD sling swivel rail mount and GovTec swivel are proven performers.

Stay tuned for the next article in this series: Building the Run and Gun Upper.

Are you ready? No, I mean truly ready. What if riots broke out in your area tomorrow and you had to make it home from work without your vehicle?

The Oklahoma Run and Gun is a pretty good test of an individual’s readiness. The Run and Gun combines oppressive heat, a 5K or 10K run (or walk), obstacle challenges and shooting challenges. Competitors must carry all of their firearms, ammunition and gear over the entire course, including enough water to support them in 100° Oklahoma heat.

An invitation from RISE Armament, of Tulsa, OK, led two Trek Tech Black staffers to the starting line of this event on a hot Saturday in July.

The event began with an uphill crawl over crushed rock under barbed wire. For competitors in shorts and/or short sleeves, the Run and Gun delivered on its tag line of, “Blood, Sweat and Bullets” almost immediately.

Uphill Barbed Wire CrawlMaking Good on the Promise of BLOOD, Sweat and Bullets

The first shooting stage was called Fast and Close. Competitors engaged targets with pistol or rifle approximately ten yards away across a creek from various shooting positions.

After the first shooting stage, participants crossed a creek utilizing a cargo net. It was fairly obvious that many of the competitors had not negotiated a cargo net before.

Attempting to Walk Across the Cargo Net …… Didn’t End So WellAttempting to Belly Crawl Across the Cargo Net

Once across the cargo net, competitors negotiated a steep uphill climb and continued to the second shooting stage.

Uphill Climb

The second shooting stage required shooters to score two hits on torso-sized steel targets at 200, 300 and 500 yards within three minutes. Shooters were allowed to lie prone while shooting. Each shooting stage had a three-minute time limit.

After the 200, 300 and 500 yard targets, competitors slogged out a shadeless, two-mile gravel road march/run to the “Junkyard.”

In the Junkyard, shooters transitioned from a simulated rooftop to a chain link fence to the hood of a truck, finishing with two shots through a barricade all on a torso-sized target approximately 200 yards away.

With the Junkyard complete, shooters ran to a farm pond and down the dam to engage several 8″ steel targets over water at 10-20 yards. The first three targets were pistol targets. The fourth and fifth targets were rifle targets at 10-40 yards. Each of these targets required two hits. The final target was a pistol target. Shooters were required to score one hit and fire five rounds.

The Slaughtering Hole

After clearing the “Slaughtering Hole” at the bottom of the dam, shooters proceeded to a burial mound where they carried a 40 lb ammo can to the top of the mound and then engaged a torso-sized steel target from three unsupported firing positions. The first firing position was approximately 220 yards from the target. Each successive firing position was approximately 30 yards closer. A magazine change was required.

The Top of the Burial Mound

After one last bonus shooting stage, where shooters were allowed to fire one round at a head-sized steel target approximately 250 yards distant, shooters sprinted (or dragged themselves) about 600 yards to the finish line.

Biathlon events like the the Oklahoma Run and Gun have gained considerable popularity in the last few years. The organizers of the Oklahoma Run and Gun have developed an excellent test of man (or woman) and gear. Competitors bumped up against their physical and psychological limits but every minute of the event was incredibly fun. Winners were determined by equal weighting of the run time and the shooting speed and accuracy. We highly recommend it if you want to test your readiness.

We would like to offer our thanks to John, the landowner, Al and Daniel, the event organizers.

We would also like to thank the good folks at RISE Armament who invited us. We ran one of their complete RA-325 Tactical V.2 rifles and one of their RA-535 Advanced Triggers in our Run and Gun AR (Stay tuned to a series of articles on the build of this rifle) in the race.

The RISE Armament rifle performed flawlessly aiding one Trek Tech Black teammate in his third-place finish in the 5K race.

The RA-535 trigger is a thing of beauty – a race gun trigger for your AR. With a 3.5 lb single stage pull, one of the cleanest breaks we’ve experienced, a 0.0045″ pull and a 0.0035″ reset, this is definitely one of the finest AR drop-in triggers on the market. You really owe it to yourself to give it a try.

There is also a winter Run and Gun for those that want to avoid the heat. For more information, click here to visit the Oklahoma Run and Gun website.

Texas law enforcement officer, Eric Casebolt, has resigned today after criticism from the public and his own department. McKinney, TX police chief, Greg Conley, called Casebolt’s actions “indefensible.”

As we look deeper into the story, however, it appears that Conley may simply be unwilling to come to his officer’s defense for fear of incurring the wrath of an ill-informed public and mainstream media.

One of the best accounts of the full story that we have found is on the site conservativetreehouse.com. The Treehouse story brings to light information not available in the mainstream media and clarifies what took place prior to the video that has gained so much attention.

Suffice to say, like most stories, there are three sides – yours, mine and the truth.

Messenger bags. Every “evil black” operator needs at least one to organize and carry his or her every day items. In our messenger bag shootout, we set out to find the best bag for the buck from some of the market’s less-well-known bag makers.

Methodology: Each bag was carried daily by a number of reviewers and ranked on our Evil Black Rifle Scale on its appearance, durability, features, functionality, market leadership and value to calculate an overall ranking.

Built like its namesake with better internal organization, the Sherman was a favorite of our reviewers. The Sherman consistently ranked as the best bag in our shootout for internal administration.

With a $150 MSRP, the Sherman certainly provides a lot of features for the money. However, if you’re looking for something even the least bit stylish, the Sherman has all the panache of a Panzer. Granted, it does have an external loop field to which a few decorative patches can be attached – sort of like painting nose art on a WWII bomber.

Spec Ops T.H.E. Messenger Bag

T.H.E. Messenger Bag

Appearance: 3/5

Durability: 5/5

Features: 3/5

Functionality: 4/5

Market Leadership: 3/5

Value: 5/5

Overall Rating: 3.833

T.H.E. Messenger Bag is about as meat-and-potatoes as it gets. It is, almost literally, a blank canvas. The interior is a single, high-visibility yellow open pocket covered in Grid-Lok (MOLLE-like attachment panel). The exterior is also covered with MOLLE-like loops. This means that the bag can be configured in a nearly infinite number of ways utilizing Spec Ops’ pouches or virtually any other MOLLE-compatible pouch.

The flip side of the “infinitely configurable” argument is that the bag has almost no internal admin until additional pouches are added. One could argue that, at the current price on the manufacturer’s website ($69.95), this isn’t a very big deal. Priced at $115.00, however, the value begins to fade.

STM Trust

STM Trust

Appearance: 4/5

Durability: 3/5

Features: 4/5

Functionality: 4/5

Market Leadership: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Overall Rating: 3.667

If you’re looking for a bit more stylish bag for lighter duty, the Trust deserves a look. It certainly won’t (and didn’t ) handle the abuse like some of the other contenders (Durability rating) but it’s a very nice looking bag with decent features and functionality. The main fabric is a 320D brushed poly while the bottom is a 640D reinforced fabric.

The inside of the Trust is a light color, making it easy to find items. There’s also quite a bit of internal organization, including a padded pocket for a laptop and a smart phone.

Tom Bihn Ego

Tom Bihn Ego

Appearance: 3/5

Durability: 4/5

Features: 3/5

Functionality: 4/5

Market Leadership: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Overall Rating: 3.167

Don’t misinterpret the rating on the Ego. Tom Bihn makes quality gear with some unique features. Unfortunately, our reviewers weren’t overly enthusiastic about either the form or the function of the Ego’s design. The bag, itself, is oddly pear-shaped. This pear shape translates to all the pockets and other organization.

Additionally, the fabric of the Bihn was not as stain-resistant as the other bags in the shootout and the large, flat main buckle seemed particularly subject to scratching.

Vvego Helluva Messenger Bag

Helluva Messenger Bag

Appearance: 5/5

Durability: 5/5

Features: 4/5

Functionality: 4/5

Market Leadership: 4/5

Value: 3/5

Overall Rating: 4.167

If you’re looking for a durable, stylish bag with some fairly unique features, we saved you the best for last. We’ll grant you that this bag’s looks aren’t for everyone. It definitely stands out – OK, jumps out – in a crowd and we understand that some of our readers are looking for more of a “gray man” approach to life.

If you’re not going for the “gray man” approach, we could really only find two faults with this bag – it’s price tag and it’s lack of internal admin. If money is no object and you don’t mind utilizing a pouch or two for admin and you want a bag that stands out, not just because of its color scheme but because of its overall design and durability, we would highly recommend the Vvego Helluva Messenger Bag.